Eternity Rising
by HolyOrdersOtaku
Summary: <html><head></head>After Ruby woke up from her nightmare, life seemed to return to normal for her. The Vytal Festival is just around the corner, and new friends are making themselves known...some with criminal backgrounds. A mysterious new teacher, and some strange happenings, however, spice life up. Sequel to The Longest Night. Rated M for language and graphic content.</html>
1. Prologue: Edge

**WARNING****: This is the sequel to the story **_**The Longest Night**_**. If you haven't read that story, then I recommend that you stop right now and read it. Trust me. I don't want to confuse too many people here. Thank you.**

**-**_**HolyOrdersOtaku**_

* * *

><p>Prologue: Edge<p>

One week after the True End from _The Longest Night_

When one could traverse the universe at will, it seemed like it should be a trifle matter to be able to behold the Thoughtspire. In this regard, Nik was thankful of his youth in the presence of his fellow immortals as he stared in wonder at the massive construct. He could have Shifted into the building, but he enjoyed looking upon its structure. Built magically by the council's founder, the great owl Eudelus Nacht, the Thoughtspire climbed high into the clouds of Desnova. Hallways and smaller spire-like structures protruded from the main building, looking as though it should collapse from its own weight. Some of these protruding structures held large gardens, and some were living spaces for various members of the council. One of the many perks of being magical in nature was that these structures were not bound by the natural laws of physics.

Sighing as he breathed in the atmosphere of this world, which was technically alien to him, before he marched through the massive stone doors before him. He was summoned by his commander, after all; he couldn't keep her waiting. Inside the Thoughtspire, it was surprisingly empty of life. Out of the thousands of Shifters who existed, only a handful ever stuck around the Thoughtspire. Most traversed the universe or stayed on their own home worlds. Nik could only see two other beings in the entry hall; one of them was the ever mysterious and strikingly quiet Anteo Nios. He was leaning against an enclave reading from a book, most likely from the Thoughtspire's own library. "Good afternoon, Anteo," Nik stated in a friendly manner, gaining the older man's attention. Older, in this sense, being a relative term; Anteo was ten thousand years older than Nik, but didn't look a day older that twenty-five.

Without really breaking away from the book, Anteo nodded. "It's evening, actually," he answered. "I assume you just arrived from your world?"

Nik nodded. "It was noon when I left. I'm still not adjusted to the differences between worlds."

"What can I help you with, Nik?" Anteo said flatly.

_I hate talking to him_, Nik thought. _He' so...aloof. It's almost like he doesn't care about anything around him._ "Uh, right. Lia summoned me."

"And you took the scenic route, instead of going straight to her," Anteo commented. "How inefficient. She's in the library. I just parted ways with her."

"Thank you," Nik said as he waved a parting salutation to Anteo, happy to part from him. "I guess living forever will do that to a man," he mumbled to himself. He'd only had his immortality for sixteen years, so he hasn't felt the true effects of it yet. He likely wouldn't for another forty years or more.

The Thoughtspire was like an endless maze of halls, rooms, and antechambers. Some of these chambers actually had no doors or windows, and could only be accessed by a very specific Shift, so there wasn't any chance that Nik would get lost in one of those rooms. Still, he felt he understood the building's layout well enough, and he found his way to the library as quickly as he could. Upon entering, he saw only two other people. One was the old man, Brom, who was responsible for taking care of and stocking the library. Most of the texts that resided here were handwritten by him over the last ten thousand years, and anytime new information was introduced he would update the tomes tirelessly. _What a boring job_, Nik reflected.

The other person was the woman he was looking for. Lia Merca sat at a round, wooden table with a pile of dusty tomes stacked around her. She was lost reading the text before her, and while Nik didn't know what it was, he could guess that she was studying a world that she hadn't visited. He approached her and stood silently, not wanting to disturb her. She deftly glanced out of the corner of her eye at him and quickly returned her gaze to the book before her. "One moment," she said.

Nik always felt a sort of awe in her presence. She gained her Shifted powers not long after he did, and she was only at the age of eight when it happened. When he first saw her, she was just a fragile little girl who didn't fully understand why she had the power to glimpse into the future. Hours later, her adoptive father was killed by their shared enemy, and the shock forced her power to ignite. Her body and mind aged to that of a young woman, and her power was so mighty that it dwarfed even the council founder's strength. She killed the man who caused the Devastation, and she went on to be nominated the head of the Council. So young, yet she held the most power out of everyone Nik knew. Now her foresight was useless, thanks to a curse that Crim Yewin placed on her. Unlike the Cycle he had cast on a certain Ruby Rose, the Cycle he cast on Lia was complete; no one knew how to reverse the effects of the incantation.

Even now, she captivated all with her youthful beauty that would last forever. Very little of her childish innocence remained, as the battle she fought sixteen years ago forced her to cast aside her childish ways. Her hair was a silky, flowing brown that was grown to the midpoint of her back. Her eyes were usually brown, but when she used her foresight they would take the shape of green wolf's eyes. Her garb was a white, flowing robe with short sleeves. The robe ended just below her knees, revealing her pale legs and bare feet. She raised her left hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes before she finally closed the book before her. Turning to face Nik, she smiled. "Thank you for coming to see me, Nik."

"Of course, Lady," he said stiffly, always uncertain of how to address her at times.

She sighed. "I do detest how the lot of you address me. '_Mistress_' this, '_Lady Lia_' that...just say my name and be done with the formalities. You're all my seniors, after all."

"True, we are your elders, Lady Lia, but we are _not_ your seniors. You're _our_ leader. We must show the proper respect."

She sighed once more. "I grow weary of arguing with all of you over it. I may yet give up on it. At least Fortis and Arletha show some familiarity with me." She stared off, lost in thought. "Then again, so does Fortuitus, but he just does it to be spiteful." She shook her head. "Sorry. I drifted further off topic there."

"Think nothing of it, Lady Lia."

Lia ignored it that time, knowing that Nik meant no offense. "Remember Remnant, Nik? The world you saved when you destroyed the black comet?"

"But of course."

"Tell me, why did you save a world that you had no right to interfere with?"

Nik saw a fire in Lia's eyes; something about this topic was serious, and he knew that he had to stay well behaved. "I know what it's like to lose everything and everyone you love to monsters. You may or may not know, Lady Lia, but shortly before I was awakened as a Shifter, my world was burned to ash by dragons. I was one of a handful of survivors. Even now, there are few left alive on my planet, and the dragons reign supreme. I know what it's like to be useless in times like that. I didn't want another world to face the same fate as my own."

"So, you broke the law of no interference to prevent a global catastrophe?"

"Yes."

"You know that is one of our most sacred laws. We swear to never interfere with worlds other than our own. I can no more help your world than you can alter my world. To do so would be to invoke the wrath of law. In some cases, its punishable by death. Or worse."

Nik was confused. "I'm sorry, Lady Lia, but I was under the impression that I was forgiven of my transgression? That my act was in the name of the greater good?"

Lia smiled. "You were, but now I worry that you may do it again. It's only a matter of time before you do, I think."

Nik thought hard about it. She was right. If another world faced a similar threat, and he were aware of it, he _would_ break the law of no interference to save it. "I can't promise that I won't," was all he said.

"I don't expect you to. So, instead of waiting around for it to happen, I'm giving you a directive to do it again right away."

Nik stared at her, dumbfounded. "I'm sorry?"

She chuckled softly. To Nik, it sounded like angels were singing. "Remnant is one the few worlds that we know of that doesn't have a Shifter. Tell me, Nik, how are Shifters created?"

Nik drifted into thought for a moment to recollect the information. "If I'm not mistaken, each world actually has a conscience. The planet can make choices for the sake of self preservation, and will occasionally name one of its own populace as a guardian. In doing so, they are granted the powers of a Shifter. That's how we are initially formed."

"Correct, but there are other ways as well. You see, Remnant has, for whatever reason, decided against creating a Shifter. We know, however, what kind of change happens when one awakens. I, for example, wasn't given my power by my planet, but by the spirits of my father, my adoptive father, and the wolf responsible for granting me my foresight."

"Avent?" Nik asked.

Lia nodded. "You never met him, and you never will. He's dead. But he was the one who fought to save the universe from the return of the Devastation sixteen years ago. He is the reason that I'm sitting in this library. Otherwise, I'd be sitting in a different library, studying to be a proper lady in the social hierarchy. Instead, I'm here, looking after all of creation. I am one of a few who's power was awakened by an outside source." She reached towards the stack of tomes and grabbed the top most book. "And because of what happened to me, and a few others, we know how to make a Shifter. The world of Remnant didn't want to awaken one, but recent events make it clear that the world _needs_ its own guardian."

Nik nodded. "What does this have to do with me?"

"You see, Nik, you have a soft spot for worlds that are nearly destroyed. You learned destructive magic so that you can kill that which desires to kill. You destroy destroyers, as it were. Since you went out of your way to save this world, I am putting you in charge of its protection for the foreseeable future."

Nik stared at her for a moment. "Is that a figure of speech, or do you actually know how long I'll be doing this?"

Lia put on an off put face; she was pouting. It seemed, to Nik, that she never did completely grow up from the age of eight. "I still can't see the future, I'll have you know. I meant that protecting Remnant is one of your tasks."

Now he was, once again, confused. "Uh, _one_ of my tasks?"

"Correct," she answered with a smile on her face. "You are also to observe the native populace of the planet. Watch them, judge them, and learn from them. You are not just protecting the world, you are also searching for your replacement. You are not from Remnant, after all. I can't expect you to protect it for the rest of your immortal life, now can I?"

"I'm...looking for someone who you will awaken as a Shifter, then?" He glanced out of a nearby window. They were several floors up, so he could see over the fields to the west; in the distance he could see the tops of a mountain range. "I don't know if I can force that responsibility on someone."

"How you go about it is up to you. You can force it on someone, or you can give them a choice; it doesn't matter. Just know that most of us never had an option. I sometimes think it'd have been better if I had died sixteen years ago instead watching all my loved ones die for me." Lia sounded sad for that moment. "You may leave whenever you're ready. As I said, how you do this is completely up to you. Be covert, or be open like a textbook for the people to read as they please. Just make sure that Remnant has a guardian to defend it for all time."

Nik nodded. "Yes, Lady Lia. If you'll excuse me, I'll get straight to work." He turned abruptly, letting his long blue robe flab about violently as he turned, and stormed out of the room.

Lia stood from her seat and approached the window. She felt a sudden weight on her right shoulder. Turning, she saw that her oldest friend had leapt up and was now resting upon her shoulder; the cat Felix. "Was that a wise choice, Lia?" he asked.

Lia smiled, happy to see that her talking feline companion had returned from roaming the Thoughtspire. "I don't know, Felix. I'm still so young compared to everyone here. Two wars over the course of sixteen years has done little to educate me in the ways of making the right choices. Sometimes I feel like my decisions are just lucky shots in the dark."

"Don't doubt yourself so much," the cat said. "Give yourself some credit. If you were bad at this, don't you think that they'd have ousted you by now? There are thousands of omnipotent, immortal beings who follow you, Lia. Believe me; if they didn't think you could do the job, you wouldn't be sitting here in this library right now."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm just afraid. I'm afraid that one of these days I'm going to make the wrong decision. I have an entire universe resting in my care, Felix. I can't afford to make even a single mistake."

* * *

><p>Billions of light years away, Remnant continued to live peacefully in its blissful ignorance of the universe around it. Beacon academy was bustling, and several large, military airships were landing at the docks. Professor Ozpin, Beacon's headmaster, stood at his window watching them land. Glynda Goodwitch stood by him, watching the ships as well. They both knew who was responsible for bringing so many ships full of troops.<p>

Glynda sighed angrily. "Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels," she commented, clearly pissed.

Ozpin tried to smile, but couldn't quite form the shape. "Well, running an academy _and_ a military makes him a very busy man...but yes, those _are_ a bit of an eyesore." From behind, his clockwork desk began beeping, signaling that someone was at the door. _If I were a betting man, I'd wager that I know who that is,_ he thought. "Come in."

The door opened, and a man in a white suit strolled into the room. He carried an air of authority, and he held a very pleased, yet somewhat professional smile. "Ozpin, it's been far too long!" he declared happily.

_Bingo_, Ozpin confirmed mentally. "General Ironwood, it certainly is a pleasure."

Ironwood chuckled. "Please, my old friend, drop the formalities." The two men approached each other and shook hands. He glanced over to Glynda, who was slowly walking closer to the two of them. "Glynda, it certainly _has_ been too long since we last met." He approached her, ready to shake her hand with a smile.

Glynda maintained a sour looking face as she gave him a mock wave. "Oh, James," she said in an uninterested tone. She glanced at Ozpin. "I'll be outside if you need me."

Ironwood stood there awkwardly with his hand outstretched as she left the room, leaving the men alone. "Well, she certainly hasn't changed a bit."

Ozpin smiled. "So, what's brought you down here? It's not often that a headmaster travels with his students." Ozpin poured Ironwood a cup of coffee before sitting down.

Ironwood smiled and produced a silver flask, topping his coffee off with something; Ozpin assumed it was brandy. "Well, I figured it's been a while since I last saw you. And since you're hosting the Vytal Festival, it seemed like a good time to catch up."

"Well, I can certainly agree to some quality time among friends." Ozpin glanced behind him, out of the window where the airships were parking. "However, the small fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned."

Ironwood visibly tensed up as he sipped his mixed drink. "Well, concern _is_ what brought them here."

"I know that travel between kingdoms is getting more difficult, but..."

"Oz, you _know_ why I brought those men here."

Ozpin nodded, sipped his coffee, and sighed. "James, we're in a time of peace. Shows of power such as this are only going to give off the wrong impression."

Ironwood leaned in slowly. "Oz, if what Qrow said is true, then..."

"_If _what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it _tactfully_. It's the Vytal Festival, James. A time to celebrate peace between nations. I suggest that you celebrate it, and that you _don't_ scare people by transporting hundreds of troops halfway across the continent."

"I'm just being cautious."

"As am I. Until we know anything for certain, we will continue to train the bests huntsmen that we can."

"Believe me, I _am_," Ironwood said, sounding somewhat upset. He turned angrily to leave the room before he stopped right before the door. It opened, and Glynda entered, sliding by him to stand next to Ozpin. "Tell me something, Ozpin. Do you truly believe your _children_ will ever win a war?" Without waiting for an answer, he stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

Ozpin sighed, sad that he'd just upset one of his oldest friends. "I honestly hope they never have to," he answered to the door.

"He's as charming as ever," Glynda stated.

"It's the military life," Ozpin stated. "It's all he's ever known. You can't fault him for that."

A silence filled the air. "So," Glynda said. "I noticed a distinct lack of Ruby Rose in my class one day this past week, and while no one gave me an excuse, she was listed in the roster as having an excused absence. Would you know anything about that?"

Ozpin smiled, remembering the advice he'd given her earlier in the week. "Ms. Rose was having an..._off_ day. I spoke with her and gave her some guidance. That is all you need to know."

"A little cryptic, don't you think?"

"Well, let's just say that she disclosed some personal problems to me, and I saw fit to help her out. You understand, I'm sure."

Glynda sighed. "Why don't students ever ask me for help? They see more of me than they do of you."

"Maybe if you weren't so strict on them, your students would open up to you, Glynda."

Glynda glared at Ozpin. "Remind me to slip some battery acid into your next pot of coffee."

He chuckled. "I think it's a pleasure to work with you, Glynda. Thank you for all your hard work."

She blushed now. "O-oh. Well, thank you."

"We have more work ahead of us, though. Best get started on it now that the new semester is just around the corner."

A loud pop filled their ears, and they were both startled to see a pillar of multicolored, rainbow like flames appear in the middle of the room in front of Ozpin's desk. The flames died away, and before them stood a slender young man with a long blue robe. His shaggy brown hair swayed gently from the flames that licked at him moments ago, and his yellow eyes opened slowly before examining the room. Ozpin and Glynda stared at him, dumbfounded, before his gaze fell upon them.

Glynda raised her wand, ready for a fight. "Who are you, and how did you get in here?"

The man didn't answer, but instead turned to face the door behind him. With a wave of his hand, the two onlookers heard a clicking sound; he dead bolted the door without touching it. Returning his gaze to the professors, he stared at them with serious intensity.

"I asked you a question, piss eyes," Glynda taunted. "Who are you?!"

"I'm looking for the one in charge," he answered calmly, not even flinching at Glynda's wand. "Which of you would that be?"

Ozpin stood up. "That would be me," he answered. "My name is..."

"Ozpin...yes, I know you're name. I assumed you were the master of this facility, but didn't know for sure." He glanced at Glynda. "There is something that I must discuss with you in private."

Glynda growled. "How dare you ignore me!"

"Glynda, calm down," Ozpin stated. "He doesn't appear to be hostile. If he intended to attack us, he'd have done so by now." He turned to face the strange man. "I'm afraid that whatever you have to talk about must involve Glynda as well. I confide everything to her, I'm afraid."

The man shrugged. "Very well." Snapping his fingers, an exact replica of Ozpin's ornate chair appeared behind him. Sitting down, he crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap. "My name is Nik Stoll. We have much to discuss."

"Such as?" Ozpin asked.

"You have a student named Ruby Rose, correct?" Ozpin nodded. "Has she had any sort of nightmares lately?"

"Shouldn't you be asking her?" Glynda asked.

"I could, but I'd rather not reveal myself to very many people at the moment."

Ozpin nodded again. "She told me about a terrible dream she had where everyone was killed by Grimm."

"Was a black comet involved?"

Ozpin arched an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

"Because I destroyed that comet a week ago. Her nightmare wasn't a nightmare; it was a memory of a failed life in an alternate timeline. Rest assured that your world is safe...for now."

"What do you mean 'for now'?"

"Well," Nik said, forcing a fake, but professional smile. "That's what I'm here to discuss."

* * *

><p><em>Song: Edge- dotHackLiminality OST_

**Author's Note**

*Sigh*. I really didn't want to do this...but at the same time I did. Woe are the ways of an author. In the end, we're all liars. We say it'll come out at _this_ time, but it actually comes out at _that_ time; we say we _won't_ write something, but something deep inside us compels us to actually write it. Keep in mind, I don't feel pressured by any of you to write this story; I just can't win an argument with myself to save my life.

So, here we are: the sequel to _The Longest Night_! If you haven't read that story, I will tell you right now to STOP! This story is confusing enough even _with_ the context from the previous story; don't make it harder on yourself. Go! Read _The Longest Night_ if you want to read this story! You might hate me for it, but it's better than being confused unnecessarily.

I'm sorry, this story is full of my original story. I've accidentally assimilated Remnant into my universe of stories. TT_TT You have no idea how large that is. I don't exaggerate when I say it's a universe. I've been teasing it, testing it, and writing it for these 6 long years, and even if I published book 1 _today_, I'd still have 10 more years left before I finished the entire series. On the plus side, I know how it goes...I'm gonna stop talking about it now. It's not even available to read yet, but I still get excited when I talk about it. Maybe if I got off my ass and edited that first fucking book, I could publish it by next year...oh well.

So, here we go. I hope this story works like I want it to, and I hope you don't hate it. Really, this worries me so freaking much. I do have good news, though. Absolutely _NO _time-travel/alternate universe shenanigans. This is the **True Timeline** of my stories, which can't be changed. So, that's one less thing to be confused about. Also, I will try to keep the setting primarily on Remnant so as to avoid more confusion. The only Shifter we'll see a whole lot of is Nik Stoll and his...choice. Who will agree to become Remnant's guardian? Who has what it takes to become immortal, watch their loved ones die over the years, and still selflessly protect the planet? I don't know. Do you know? Let's read on and find out.

(On a side note, this being a part of the **True End** means that I can't bring anyone back from the dead should they be killed in the story. Any death from here on out is **perma-death**.)

Till next time~! :D


	2. Chapter 1: White Rabbit

Chapter 1: White Rabbit

There it was. The noise from her pocket alerted her to the fact that someone had left her a message. She somewhat dreaded this day. After all, she forgot to hide her number when she called _that man_ last week. Ruby sighed, knowing that the message couldn't possibly be from anyone else she knew: everyone was in the library right now; they had just completed a game of Risk that Ruby had procured a few days prior.

She made sure everyone was preoccupied, which was actually caused by Blake storming off. Ruby was worried about her friend, but quickly took advantage of the situation by opening her scroll to see who had sent the message. Her suspicions were correct; _that man_.

_[I know it's weird, but what do you say to another meet up? I kind of enjoyed our last conversation.]_-R.T.

_Torchwick, you creep_, she thought quietly, yet she found herself typing a reply.

_[Why not.]_-R.R.

She sighed as she put her scroll away, happy that no one saw the message. Glancing around she saw that Weiss and Yang were staring sadly in the direction that Blake ran. "I thought we'd grown as friends," Weiss said quietly. "She should share her problems with us."

"Yeah," Yang said. "She's been off for a couple of weeks now. She mellowed back out some when Ruby had her nightmare, but now that it's behind us she's...worse."

"Well, we're her friends," Ruby declared. "I know we can solve this problem."

Weiss nodded. "I certainly hope so."

"Hey, here's an idea: why don't you two try to cheer her up?"

Yang blinked. "Well, that was kinda the plan. What about you?"

"While you two try to do whatever it is that you'll do, I'm gonna run to Vale and buy her a present."

"Like what?"

"I...I dunno. What about a book?"

"Doubt it," Weiss said. "Her favorite book store closed the other day. The owner was found murdered."

Ruby and Yang both gasped. "You don't think that Torchwick guy had to do with it, do you?" the blonde brawler asked.

"Doubt it," Ruby stated. "It's not his M.O. He's stealing dust, not books. It's probably unrelated. Still, that is rather tragic."

"Well, I guess it's to be expected in a city the size of Vale. Where there's a lot of people, there'll be crime," Weiss stated flatly.

"Well, switching back to Blake here, what about tea?" Yang asked. "Isn't there a tea shop around here?"

"Yeah!" Ruby exclaimed. "I'll buy her some new flavor of tea that she's never tried!" Excitedly, Ruby stood up and ran out of the library, yelling, "Thanksgoodluckguysbebacklater!" as she went.

"W-wait, Ruby!" Pyrrha called from the nearby table. "You forgot to pack up your board game!" She slumped slightly, realizing that the red speedster was long gone. She glanced at Weiss and Yang.

"It's not mine," Weiss said flatly. "I won't clean up after that dunce." She stood and made her way to the door.

"Uh," Yang followed awkwardly. "She'll...never learn if I did it for her?"

"You sound uncertain," Pyrrha whispered, but otherwise gave up. She wasn't going to clean it either.

* * *

><p>Ozpin's face was calm and composed, but there was an inner turmoil the likes of which he'd never experienced before. A single drop of sweat trickled down his face as he stared, mystified by this 'young' stranger that sat before him. <em>Just who is this young man?<em> he thought, finding his explanation to be too farfetched to be real. But, then again, maybe it's outrageousness made it plausible? Who's to say he wasn't telling the truth? _After all, he did just appear out of thin air_.

Silence filled the room, only being disturbed by the regular _tick, tock, tick, tock _of the clockwork around them. The young man remained in the same seated position he was in when he first sat down, with his legs crossed and his hands folded in his robed lap. His professional smile was long gone, replaced by unreadable stoicism as his yellow eyes pierced Ozpin's body. If what he had just explained to them was true, then he could feasibly wait like this for a very long time; he had learned patience.

Glynda was the first to break the silence. One simple phrase shattered the frightening serenity that was the pseudo calm atmosphere. "Bullshit," she said angrily. "How can any of what you just said be true?"

The young man nodded. "I understand that it's difficult to accept, and even harder to understand. But I assure you, every word was true."

"You want us to believe that you're some omnipotent being who's saved our world? That you have some great, all mighty power that could possibly destroy us, and you're telling me that you can make _someone_ from this world the same as you? Why should we believe you?"

His eyes narrowed. He glared at Glynda, which surprisingly caused her to step back hesitantly. "Keep in mind, I was at liberty to go about this as I pleased. I _decided_ to meet with this schools headmaster. I _chose_ to make my presence, and my mission, known. I could have just as easily done my job _without _notifying anyone."

Ozpin cleared his throat. "Please, forgive my colleague. I fear she is prone to resorting to anger far too easily. It's a trait that I actually find quite endearing at times, but here it's only made us more tense." Ozpin gave her an apologetic look. "That being said, her skepticism is well founded. You've basically told us that you're a _god_. We can't help but feel a sense of...doubt."

The man smiled, this time genuinely. "I apologize as well. I'm used to interacting with my own colleagues. And you're not the first to make that comparison. True, we are mighty and all powerful, but we are not so great as deities. Most of us detest being worshiped."

"Most?" Glynda asked, putting an aggravated tone behind the word.

"Some are too self centered to argue against the concept. I could talk about me and my organization all day, Ms. Goodwitch, but I'm not here for my own enjoyment. I'm here to help your world, and be on my way."

Glynda glared at him as she prepared to make a retort, but Ozpin raised his hand to halt her. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "Ozpin, may I ask him a question?" The headmaster nodded. She turned once more to face the young man. "You never gave your name."

"My name is Nik. Nik Stoll," he answered, offering a respectful bow from his seated position. "At your service."

"Mr. Stoll, I can't help but find your story to be too unrealistic and impossible. I'm sure I speak for Ozpin as well when I say that we require proof of what you are."

Nik arched an eyebrow, interested in the suggestion. "What would you like me to do?"

Glynda retrieved her wand and pointed it at Nik. "Glynda," Ozpin warned.

"You say that you are an immortal. That means that you will survive a killing blow, correct?" Glynda asked menacingly.

"No," Nik answered without a single hesitation. He was unflinching as he stared down the witch's weapon. "We call it immortality, but it's a false eternal life. More accurately, we have eternal youth. We will never die from age or illness, but we can die from injuries and certain poisons. In that regard, we are as fragile as mortals."

"So if I use my wand to burn a hole in your chest?"

"I would die, just as if you'd done the same to anyone else." He smiled. "The problem is that I'm much stronger and faster than you. I'd have blown this room to hell before you ever had the chance to attack me."

Ozpin slammed his hands on his desk. "Will you two _stop_!" He glared at Glynda. "I think he's given as much proof as needed." He returned his gaze to Nik. "I still don't completely trust you, but I must know: are you going to cause any harm to my students?"

Nik shook his head. "I am here to observe, choose a guardian, and protect the planet should the need arise. I don't see that last part becoming necessary, though."

There was a long silence. It may have lasted a minute or two, but to the mortals in the room it felt like an eternity. Ozpin sighed and refilled his coffee mug. Producing a second mug, he offered it to Nik who gratefully accepted. Both men sipped at their coffee while Glynda stood to the side, waiting for one of them to break the silence.

Ozpin set his mug down, breaking the silence. "So," he said. "How are you going to come to a decision?"

"I will observe," he said. "I will select candidates and watch them. Eventually, I hope to narrow the list down, and then I will give them the _choice_ to become the guardian of their home world."

Ozpin smiled. "If you're going to be watching my students anyway..." He trailed off, rummaging through a drawer under his desk, before pulling out a stack of paperwork. "Then you might as well have an alibi."

Nik stood and approached Ozpin's desk, staring at the paperwork. He held back a chuckle as he read over the job application. "A teacher, eh?"

* * *

><p>Ruby walked quietly alongside the seawall, letting the ocean breeze tug gently at her cloak. In her right hand was a plastic bag with a tin can full of tea leaves and an open box of candy that she'd bought for herself. <em>Why did I agree to this?<em> she thought. She felt bad for lying to her team _again_. True enough, her intentions for buying a gift for Blake were honest enough. If caught, she could argue that she just _happened_ to run into Roman. _But that would cause its own problem, wouldn't it? God, this sucks!_ She sighed heavily and glanced around. "Where the heck is he, anyway?"

_ CLICK_; a gun was cocked. "Evening, Red," said the suave voice that could only belong the Vale's most wanted thief.

Another sigh escaped Ruby's lips. "You ever read super hero comics, Roman?" she asked without facing him.

He chuckled. "I might have dabbled in them as a kid. Why?"

"Because I _really_ got that super speed thing down pat." She turned and saw Roman standing a few feet away from her, aiming his cane at her; her eyes narrowed angrily at him. "I _dare_ you; pull the trigger."

He frowned. "Damn, you're no fun tonight." Lowering the cane, he un-cocked it and leaned against the handrail on the seawall.

Ruby shrugged before leaning against the rail next to him. "You have a habit of souring my mood, Roman. Can't help it."

"Was it the gun thing just now? Come on, you've _got_ to be used to staring down the barrel of this bad boy." He tapped the curved handle of the cane with his forefinger.

"When was it? Two? Three weeks ago you fought my friend, shot me, and got chased away by another of my friends?"

"Ooooh," he said, wincing. "We are _not_ going there right now, Red. It's embarrassing enough to be chased off by _one_ little girl."

"If it makes you feel any better, I had to buy this," she held up the bag. "To make my friend feel better. She's been stressing out trying to figure out what you and the White Fang are up to."

"I assumed you're talking about the Little Kitty, and not the Freakshow. Well, I guess they're both fre..."

"Finish that sentence, and I'll see to it that your jaw is broken in so many places that you won't be able to speak for months."

"At least I didn't kill any of you," Roman defended himself before laughing. He paused for breath before laughing even more.

Ruby glared at him. _Seriously, _why_ did I agree to see him again?_ "What is so funny?"

His laughter died down slowly as he caught his breath. "It's just funny to me; you're _clearly_ gonna keep being a pain in my ass, yet here I am shootin' the shit with you." He shook his head, smiling. "I don't know why I wanted to talk to you again, but it's somewhat enjoyable. At least here I can _actually_ speak my mind."

Ruby scoffed. "Aren't you _always_ pretty liberal with your words? You've got to be the mouthiest person I've ever met."

"Have you met my employer? Total bitch. Can't say anything to her about it though, or else she'll cut my pay." _And probably a few other things,_ he thought silently.

Ruby stared at him. "Employer?"

"Kid," he interrupted. "I'm a professional. I don't just _steal_ anything. If you're good at something, never do it for free. I _never_ work self employed. That's how I started, but eventually you want to make a business out of a hobby. It's never been a secret that I'm a thief for hire. Hell, look me up on the internet. It'll be plastered on every news source."

Ruby smiled. "Oh, I've seen this part in the crime stories! The criminal on the payroll of the crime boss has second thoughts, so he explains his boss's plans to the police and helps them catch him! What juicy details will he spill next!?"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Roman said, wagging his finger. "I've seen that one too, Red. The rat always gets shot. My lips are sealed tighter than an inmate's asshole. Bad for business if I start broadcasting my client's information," Roman smiled. Stick to those super hero comics, Red. Life looks happier that way."

"Why read them?" she asked. "I'm learning to be a huntress to I can _be_ one of them. Granted, I won't be some masked vigilante in the city, but at least I can help people." She glared at Roman briefly. "Not that _you_ know what that's like, thief."

"You're right, I don't." Roman tossed a candy into the air and caught it in his mouth. "Hm. Not bad. A little sweet for my liking, but not bad."

Ruby's eye's shot wide open. "Wh-what?!" She looked into the plastic bag she held and found that the box of candies was gone.

"Looking for this?" Roman held up the candy box.

"When did you get that?" Ruby asked angrily.

"Dare I risk sounding like a broken record? I'm a professional. I got where I am thanks to hard work and dedication to the craft. Its not as easy as it looks, but that's why _I'm_ the one getting paid to do it, and not snot nosed brats such as yourself."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You're a real charmer, you know that?" She held her hand out. "Give them back."

Roman shrugged and handed the candy back after eating a handful more. "You know those will rot your teeth out, right?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar to smoke.

"And those cause cancer, which is worse than cavities in teeth," Ruby retorted. "I swear, I hate you so much."

"I'm hurt, Red," he replied sarcastically.

"I'm going home. I have a friend to cheer up, thanks to _you_." Ruby turned to leave.

"I could've killed her."

She froze. A chill ran up her spine as Roman's words echoed throughout her mind. She turned and glared at Roman. For a split second, he thought he saw a color difference in her eyes. "If you _ever_ touch one of my friends, you'll regret the day you ever met me."

Roman stared at her, dumbfounded by how serious this little girl was. She turned and continued to walk away as he puffed at his cigar. She was long gone before he ever replied to her statement. It was too late for her to hear it though. "I don't kill, Red. I never kill."

* * *

><p><em>Song: White Rabbit- Egypt Central <em>

**Author's Note**

Whew~! Sorry I took so long. I've been really busy lately. I've been helping a friend with his story, working on youtube stuff with another friend, building a D&D campaign for _another_ group of friends, reading super hero comic books, watching RWBY, and having technical difficulties. Speaking of technical difficulties? What does a fried Xbox hard drive sound like? I don't know about you, but to me it sounds like seven years of video game saves down the drain. I'm sad right now.

Oh, right: back to the story.

So, you guys remember the Ruby/Roman friendship from TLN? It's still gonna happen. It's going to be a more difficult relationship because they aren't forced into working together, and they'll still fight each other on and off, but they're still becoming friends! And, yes, now that Volume 2 is out, I am going to loosely follow its timeline, making changes where they benefit the story. It's kind of like how _Superman_ comics will contradict themselves...or _any_ superhero comic for that matter.

And yes, I have been on a superhero binge lately. I can't help it.

Well, another chapter has come and gone! Sorry for the wait! As always, till next time!

(BONUS FUN FACT: When I write for long stories and sequels, I actually _do_ go back and reread the previous chapters/stories. I must have reread _The Longest Night _five times, and I'll reread it another dozen times before _Eternity Rising_ is finished. :D)


	3. Chapter 2: Every Day Is Exactly The Same

Chapter 2: Every Day is Exactly the Same

* * *

><p>"You alright?" Yang asked as Ruby sat down her grocery bag that contained the tin of tea leaves. "You were gone for quite a while."<p>

"Hm?" Ruby asked. "Oh, sorry. I got held up at the store. I asked the employed what kind of tea they had and he started explaining the flavors of each tea he showed me." _I hate lying to Yang_, she thought guiltily.

Yang giggled slightly. "I'll bet. Those guys are probably like car salesmen; they'll try anything to make you buy something."

Ruby glanced to her right towards Weiss's bed where the heiress was polishing her nails quietly. To Ruby's left was Blake's bed, where the faunus currently _wasn't_. "Where is she?"

"Assuming she didn't lie to us, she's in the shower sulking," Weiss said dryly. She sighed, standing to retrieve the bag of tea. "I suppose I'd better start brewing some of that for her. I hope it helps lighten her mood."

Ruby and Yang nodded as Weiss left the room, no doubt heading for the community commons area where various appliances sat to be used; coffee makers and water heaters were among the available tools.

"How is she?" Ruby asked her elder sister.

"Quiet," Yang replied. "I mean, more than usual. It's kind of scary to see her act this way."

"Yeah." Ruby shook her head. "I hope we can help her. I'd hate for her to stay like that for too long."

The door creaked open, and a slightly damp Blake entered the dorm. Her night clothes stuck to her body where she apparently rushed to dry herself after the shower, and a towel was still draped around her shoulders absorbing water from her jet black hair. She froze at the sight of Ruby and Yang for a moment before she moved to sit on her bed. "I'm going to sleep," she said quietly, almost as a whisper.

But Ruby heard it. "Nope," she said flatly.

The cat faunus was caught off guard. "I...I'm sorry?"

"It's time the four of us had a serious girl talk, Blake." Weiss entered with a steaming teapot and four cups. Ruby nodded, motioning for her to go ahead and pour the tea and distribute it between the four of them. Blake couldn't protest as the tea was practically thrust into her hands before she could say anything. Weiss and Yang each sat in a chair on each side of Ruby, who stood before Blake's bed. Calmly sipping the tea, Ruby smiled and was pleased with the flavor she chose.

Blake was nervous. She didn't know what was going on. All she knew was that her three friends were crowded around her drinking tea and staring at her silently, almost as if they were scolding her for misbehaving. Maybe _scold _ was the wrong word to use. Was it anger? _No_, Blake thought. _They don't seem mad at me for anything._ Concern? That had to be it. They were concerned for her. The thought was touching to Blake, but she was still confused as to _why_ they would be concerned. She gulped nervously, hoping that someone would break the silence. With no alternatives, she decided to sip from her teacup, and was pleasantly surprised to find a slightly bitter, but fruity flavor.

Ruby smiled slightly, pleased that her cat eared friend had finally tasted the tea. "Blake, we're all friends here, right?"

Caught off guard, Blake stammered a, "Y-yeah."

"Blake, we your comrades and friends of team RWBY are concerned for your well being. We're here for you if you need us, you know that right?"

Blake nodded. "Guys, I'm fine, really," she lied.

"No, you're not," Weiss interjected. "Blake, you made a promise to me that you'd come to us if you have a problem. It's obvious that you have a problem, and we want to help you through it. You shouldn't have to go through this alone."

The faunus girl looked away shyly. "I just..."

"Blake, sweetie, please talk to us," Yang said tenderly, using a tone that only Ruby had heard before; her motherly tone. "We're worried about you."

Blake felt a lance pierce her heart as Yang spoke. Those words were so sweet and full of concern and familial love that she knew she couldn't resist. Sighing, she sipped from her tea and hung her head sadly. "It's just...what is Torchwick up to? Why are the White Fang working for a human, let alone one like him?"

Ruby sighed, but she revealed a smile. "I figured that's what was one your mind."

"I don't understand what could possibly be going on. Many of my comrades in the White Fang despised humans, especially close minded racists like Torchwick. They'd have died before they would've agreed to work with him!"

_"I don't know why I wanted to talk to you again, but it's somewhat enjoyable. At least here I can speak my mind!"_ Roman's words echoed in Ruby's mind. _"Have you met my employer? Total bitch!"_ She shrugged. "I don't know what he's up to. I doubt very many people do know."

"While we're on the subject, actually," Weiss spoke up. "For what purpose could a thief like Torchwick need so much Dust?"

"What do you mean?" Yang asked.

"He's practically famous all over the kingdom. He's a Tier One criminal wanted for hundreds of charges including thefts, assaults, smuggling, public intoxication, and even one murder. He's participated in a variety of heists and thefts, all of which were unrelated to the other say for the fact that he was the on doing the stealing. What could he possibly need with so much Dust now?"

"I didn't know any of that," Yang stated.

"I looked into him after we got Blake back home a couple of weeks ago."

Ruby thought for a moment. _"It's never been a secret that I'm a thief for hire_._"_ She resisted the urge to smile. _Thanks for the tip, Roman._ "Maybe he _doesn't_ need the Dust. Maybe someone else does," she suggested.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked, sipping from her tea mechanically.

"What if the reason his crimes are unrelated is because he's a freelance criminal? Maybe people hire him to do odd jobs, and someone wants him to steal Dust now."

Weiss placed a finger on her chin in thought. "That does make sense. I shudder at the thought of seeing what his resume must look like."

"What about the murder?" Blake asked worriedly.

"I actually looked into that case. While he was never arrested or convicted for it, all evidence pointed at him as the prime suspect. It was deemed a crime of passion. It was also from nine years ago, so I doubt he had a professional background. I hate to speak in his favor, but it's possible that it was even an accident."

"So he's not been accused of killing anyone else?" Ruby asked.

"It seems he hasn't."

_"I could've killed her,"_ he taunted in Ruby's mind. It didn't make sense, but there wasn't a whole lot of information to work from as far as Ruby was concerned. Additionally, they weren't trying to figure out who he did and did not kill. "Well, it's my theory that Roman is just a pawn for someone else. Probably a major crime organization or something. Maybe there's going to be a massive gang war and they needed Dust. Who knows. The point is; Roman's not important."

"Then who hired him?" Blake wondered out loud. "And why did they contact the White Fang?"

"Maybe Roman contacted them? He could have offered part of his cut to them. I've heard that they're not as powerful as they used to be, and fighting a war against humanity is probably pretty expensive," Yang stated.

"I'm sorry," Blake said. "I'm sorry, but I feel like I need to know what's going on. I have to find out. I know you don't want me to get myself involved, and you don't want me to get myself into trouble, but this is something that..."

"Then we'll help," Ruby said flatly, interrupting Blake.

"We're gonna _what_?" Weiss yelled. "No, we need to talk her out of this Ruby, not encourage it!"

Ruby grinned sheepishly at Weiss. "Truth is, I'm kind of curious myself."

"We're students, Ruby. We shouldn't be doing this! Yang, talk some sense into your sister and your partner!"

Yang shrugged. "I'm game." The blonde brawler grinned wolfishly at the heiress.

"Three to one, Weiss," Ruby teased. "You're outnumbered."

"B-but," She looked to her three team mates, looking lastly at Blake's stunned but happy face; tears of joy seemed to almost surface. "Oh, fine! I guess we'll become the youngest vigilantes in Vale's history."

"Not vigilantes, Weiss," Ruby grinned. "We'll be Huntresses!"

* * *

><p>Nik stood atop the clock tower of Beacon academy; the same tower that housed Ozpin's office. His blue robe billowed behind him as the violent wind of the altitude rushed around him, threatening to throw him from his seemingly delicate perch. Yellow eyes scanned the darkness below, silently studying anyone that he happened to see. Granted, the sun had set so there weren't very many of Beacon's students active at the moment, but the few he saw he believed were promising. Silently, he echoed the names of those he saw.<p>

_Velvet Scarlatina...Sun Wukong...Neptune Vasilias...Ruby Rose... Coco...Luna Fay...Pyrrha Nikos..._ He smiled at the thought of each of them. "But," he said aloud. "It's too soon to decide. Hundreds are on my list."

He couldn't make a decision until he was able to understand each and every single one of them. He needed to find their flaws, and strike their names accordingly. When he was down to one, then he would make his final selection. No sooner. No later. He was prepared to wait years if he needed to.

Something curious caught his eye, however. His list was based on a magical algorithm that detected possible candidates for ascension to the might of a Shifter. One name he didn't expect to see. During his short stay so far, he'd heard much about this man. His exploits were petty, but criminal in nature. Hated by just about everyone, it seemed no one trusted him. "Roman Torchwick...why is your name written down?"

* * *

><p><em>Song: Every Day Is Exactly The Same- Nine Inch Nails<em>

**Author's Note  
><strong>

Whew! Sorry I took so long. I've been laid off from work for the year and I've moved in with my sister and my life's been kind of hectic and I've had some issues to sort out...basically, my hands have been tied for WEEKS. But, I'm still writing! I finished this chapter as quickly as I could! I swear! So, what do you thing so far, boys and girls? Liking it? I'm starting to like it more and more as I keep writing it. Hopefully I don't fuck it up somewhere along the way.

Til next time!


	4. Chapter 3: Heavy Day

Chapter 3: Heavy Day

The sun had risen gently over the horizon, and all of team RWBY felt optimistic about the coming night. But first, of course, they had classes to attend. Today shouldn't have been a terribly long day, as they only had a handful of classes on their schedules. However, as the members of the team slowly cleaned themselves up and dressed appropriately for class, each of their scrolls beeped.

Weiss was the first to check hers. "I think we've got mail," she said as she opened the inbox and scanned the message. "Huh, that's odd."

"What is it?" Blake asked as she was tying her bow. Now that her friends knew that she was faunus, she never slept with it on anymore; this was much more comfortable than before.

"You know that break we have in the day? The one where we don't have class for two hours."

"What about it?" Yang asked while she brushed the knots out of her tangled mane.

"I've been signed up for a class at that time."

"What!?" Ruby asked, rushing to Weiss's side to read the email. "Why! That's when we goof off in the library!"

"Don't you mean _study_?" Weiss asked, sounding cross.

"What? Oh, pfft, yeah! Why, what'd I say?"

"Check your scrolls," Weiss said as she rolled her eyes.

Her three team mates halted their current activities and did as instructed. Sure enough, they all had the same email. "What is this class? _Theoretical Universal Applications_?" Blake asked. "I've never heard of it."

"It says here that the instructor is new and is teaching an experimental program," Weiss read aloud. "Due to the coming Vytal Festival, a large number of the exchange students and native students have been signed up, if I'm reading this right."

"Professor Nik Stoll...I guess he is new. I've never heard of him," Ruby stated flatly.

"Well, let's go get some breakfast," Yang said. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out this afternoon." Curiosity abound, the four girls made their way to the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>"God damn it!" Roman cried out. "What do you think I'm paying you animals for?" Waving his cane about, gesturing towards to hundreds of dust filled containers. "I told you <em>specifically<em> to load these up last night. This warehouse should be half empty right now."

"Yes sir," answered a masked member of the white fang. Judging by his posture and his nervous voice, Roman guessed that he was young; most likely still a teenager.

"Let me ask you something," Roman said as he approached. Masking his anger with a friendly smile, he placed a hand on the shoulder of the young faunus. "I said that this warehouse is supposed to be empty. Right now, it is full. You see?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Empty. Full. Empty. Full. Do those words sound the same?"

The faunus boy glanced at Roman nervously. "I...I don't..."

"Do those two words sound the _same_?" Roman asked again.

Straightening his posture, the faunus finally answered with, "No."

"I thought not," Roman whispered. Raising his cane, he smacked the boy in the face, knocking a couple of bloody teeth out in the process and forcing him to the ground, where Roman kicked him in the ribs once. "Now, I want all of you to work _extra hard_ today! We have a lot of work to do, and Cinder is not known to be a patient woman. Believe me, if I have to face her wrath, then you will face _mine_! Chop chop!"

He was pleased to see the lot of them start to rush about to their tasks, loading Dust containers onto Bullheads and arming mech suits. Nodding with a smile, he decided to go for a brief stroll. Should the White Fang members not be productive when he gets back, he wouldn't be opposed to knocking a few more teeth loose.

One of the perks of being on the outskirts of Vale is that no one seemed to recognize Roman when they saw him. That, or they were too afraid of him to every consider reporting him. He did have several prison breaks on file, after all. As such, he would frequently take a stroll on days that he felt stressed, taking in the scenery as he smoked his sweet cigars. Casually lighting up, he inhaled slowly to enjoy the sweet flavor before exhaling just as slowly, stretching the flavor out as long as possible.

"There are days I love my job," he said out loud. "And days I fucking hate it." Stretching to rid himself of his sudden stiffness induced by stress, he looked around at his surroundings. He was in a small park. No one you'd find in the city center, where he would be arrested on sight, but a small, less than stellar park that only street rats and sexual deviants ventured to. On this day in particular, Roman could see no fewer than three couples attempting to hide behind trees and bushes as they did the dirty deed. He laughed. "Kids today, I fucking swear. What's wrong with a god damn motel room?"

Chuckling softly to himself, he began to twirl his cane as he continued his leisurely stroll, humming all the while. Something caught his eye, however, and he stopped once again. Bringing his gaze to a nearby flower patch, he saw a single red rose amidst a sea of weeds and sunflowers. It was healthy and thriving, with thick, sharp thorns that protected the flower from outside dangers. Curious, he knelt down to get a closer look at it. The red was bright and vibrant, almost blindingly so. It reminded Roman about two things. The first was a certain huntress in training.

_If you _ever_ touch one of my friends, you'll regret the day that you met me,_ she had said. "I already do," Roman whispered gently to the flower.

The second memory was much more unpleasant. It reminded him of blood. _Her_ blood. The events came rushing back to him, fresh as though they were ten minutes ago instead of ten years ago.

_Glass shattered as she screamed. She was begging for help, and Roman was lost in the sounds of her terror. A muzzle flashed and the sound of a gunshot rang in his hears, leaving him temporarily deaf. The only feeling he could understand was the sudden warm fluid that had sprayed on his face and shirt; blood. "No!" he screamed, rushing to her side; she was already dead. Looking to the broken window, he saw the shadow of the one responsible. No face could be seen, nor could Roman see his eyes. The moonlight reflected off of his gun, and Roman could see the smoke coming from the barrel. Without a word, the man leapt from the window and into the night. Looking down to her body, Roman began to cry violently. "Neo~!"_

When his senses returned to him, Roman found that he was on his hands and knees panting heavily. Glancing up, he saw the red rose directly in front him. Once again, he thought of Ruby. In this moment, he realized he had a need. He needed to see her again. He knew why, and he tried to argue with himself that it wasn't right. _She's dead_ he kept telling himself. _You've already got an empty doll, what more could you possibly want to fuck up in your own life?_ After slowing his heart rate and making his breath even once more, he stood up slowly. "I need to do this," he said out loud. "But I'm going to do it _my _way."

* * *

><p>Team RWBY and several others entered the classroom. It was the afternoon now, and the classroom was slowly filling up with confused students who all shared the same question; what was this about?<p>

"Who do you think this Nik Stoll guy is anyway?" Jaune asked.

"I have no idea," Velvet answered.

"With any luck, this class will at least be interesting," Yang chimed.

"Agreed," Blake replied. "Otherwise, I'll find a way to drop out of it. It doesn't look to be a required course, so it shouldn't be too hard to get out of."

"Blake!" Weiss shouted. "I'm appalled. You're the only other member of team RWBY besides myself to take her studies seriously. Surely, _you_ of all people wouldn't drop out of a class!"

"I'm overloaded as it is," Blake explained. "I signed up for as many classes as I could get my hands on at the beginning. "

"That's your own fault, nerd," Yang teased.

"Remind me again, Yang, how you managed to ace the entrance exam while your sister was given a _free_ admission with no real studying?"

Yang blushed, which was a rare feat in and of itself. "I...I crammed the whole week before the exam."

"You did?" Ruby asked. "No wonder you were so cranky that week."

"Shut up! At least you didn't have to take the test Ruby."

"And I am _not_ complaining!"

The door swung open, and a slender young man entered. At first glance, one could confuse his apparent youth to mean that he was a student, but the air around him as he marched into the room gave off an aura of authority: this was Nik Stoll. Unusually garbed in a long blue robe, he stood in front of the chalk board of the class room. Snapping his fingers, a piece of chalk began to float and write his name out on the board.

"That's a cool semblance," Ruby whispered.

Brushing his shaggy brown hair away from his yellow eyes, he bent his arms slightly backwards and let the robe come open as it slipped off of him and drifted to a nearby coat rack where it finally rested. Adjusting the cuffs on the black and blue suit he wore, he gave a brief glance at every student present, mentally keeping attendance. Smiling, he began to speak. "Good afternoon. My name is Professor Nik Stoll, and welcome to my class: _Theoretical Universal Applications_." Before he could continue, Weiss had already raised her hand. Raising an eyebrow, he smiled at her gently. "A question already?"

Weiss nodded. "I'm sorry, professor, but we've never heard of this class until today. What exactly can we expect from it?"

"Excellent question." Snapping his fingers again, the chalk started to draw a complex three dimensional shape. "The universe: what do we know about it? Let's start small, shall we, and look at Remnant. It's a rock floating in space that contains an excellent combination of oxygen and nitrogen that our bodies need to survive. Water is present, which is the driving catalyst for most of our bodily functions. It contains plant life, which feed all other life in one form or another. We know that the sun is a massive ball of burning gasses, and that most of our minerals were deposited by comets, asteroids, and meteors. What else do we know?"

He looked around, almost demanding that someone answer the question. After a few minutes, he finally continued. "See? We don't _really_ know much more than that. Or at least, that's what you've all been led to believe. Not to imply that you're scientists have lied to you, by any means, but rather I mean to imply that most of what exists is only known in theory to most of us. It is my duty to explain that which is difficult to understand in our universe. How big is it? How did it begin? What is Dust and where did it really come from? These are questions that you never thought to ask, but also never realized that you need the answers to them."

Smiling, he raised his hands up slightly, making several different Dust crystals levitate from nearby containers. "So, let's start with the simplest of these topics; Dust..."

* * *

><p>"Are we ready?" Roman asked. "Can we set it up tonight?"<p>

"I don't see why not," replied a young mouse faunus. He was looking over the diagnostics of the mech: an Atlesian Paladin model. "The OS is functioning properly, mechanically it's all sound. You can demonstrate it tonight."

"Fucking sweet. Get the word out. I want the White Fang recruitment office so full that prospective members will need to go on a fucking waiting list," he patted the young man on the shoulder. "Let's get this done!"

* * *

><p>Team RWBY returned to their dorm for the evening. They each sat down on a bed to relax for a short time. "That class is going to be <em>hard<em> isn't it?" Ruby complained.

"Well, it doesn't even have a text book. Its all lecture so far," Blake pointed out.

"And its freaking weird!" Yang yelled. "What am I supposed to do with a bunch of _space_ stuff! I'm here to kill monsters, not know what's beyond our solar system!"

Weiss scoffed. "While it is admittedly unrelated to most of our other studies, I found it interesting if nothing else. I think I'll stick around for a while and see where it goes." She glared at the rest of her team. "The rest of you should stay as well!"

"I don't see why not," Ruby said. "But I'll probably need a lot of help if I need to pass it."

Blake stood up. "So, today's the day, right?"

Ruby leapt to her feet, suddenly excited. "Oh, oh, oh! How could I have forgotten! Yes! Everyone change! It's time to do some detective work!" Nodding, the four of them changed into more casual attire that they rarely got to wear these days. Quickly and efficiently, they were now in their new attire and armed to the teeth with their weapons. "Okay! So, Blake is going to a White Fang gathering, correct?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I've been looking into it all day. There's a recruitment session down town today."

"Yang?"

"I have a..._friend_. He knows things. I'm sure he can help."

"I worry about the way you said the word _friend_," Weiss said. "He's not like a..._special_ friend, is he?"

"Tsk, tsk, Ice Queen. Just how easy do you think I am?"

"Have you seen what your clothes look like? You're practically selling yourself."

"You're just jealous because you only know how to wear dresses. Maybe I should buy you a pair of hot pants?"

"Please, for the love of God, don't."

Ruby giggled happily. "And, Weiss me and you are going to the radio tower, correct?" Weiss nodded.

"Can we come?" came a voice from the window. The girls, startled by the sudden interuption, turned to face said window; Sun Wukong dangled lazily upside down. "Sounds like you guys are about to have a blast," he added with a smile.

"What in the hell are you doing there?" Yang asked.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that. I do it all the time!"

"You do _what_?" Weiss asked.

"I climb trees all the time. It's not that dangerous. At least, not for me." He pointed a thumb to girl's right. "Anyway, me and Neptune overheard you and we want to join."

Ruby and Weiss stuck their heads out and saw Neptune, Sun's team mate and friend, standing cautiously on the ledge. "Yo," he said smoothly.

"How...how did _you_ get up here?" Ruby asked.

"I have my ways...but seriously, can we come in? We're, like, really high up."

* * *

><p>Ruby had split from Weiss and run into Penny. Yang and Neptune had gone to Junior's to ask him about everything he knew about Roman, and Sun and Blake had infiltrated the White Fang recruitment session successfully.<p>

Until Roman showed up that is. He displayed the Paladin mech and went on to inform the White Fang that they would be getting fleets of these weaponized mechs. Sun and Blake had tried to sneak out safely; he recognized him. _We're on the right track_, Roman thought as he loaded up into the Paladin to chase down the two intruders.

"Everyone!" Blake yelled into her scroll. "Could use a little help out here!"

"He~~~~lp!" Sun screamed as they ran along the rooftops. "They've got a robot! It's big! Torchwick's in it!"

Running as fast as they could, they leapt onto a freeway and stood on the cars. The two of them paused to see if Roman was still following; he was. "You know, I like video games as much as the next guy, but this is _not_ how I pictured my Armored Core fantasy would come true!"

"Shut up and run!" Blake screamed.

Roman sat in the cockpit following them as close as he could. A proximity alert drew his attention away for a moment, and he could see a blonde chick and a blue haired punk riding a motorcycle to catch him. "Shit!" He whispered. An idea came and he started crashing cars to slow them down. "Pardon me! Coming through!" A moment later, he felt a few bullets impact on the armor plating. "Persistent little punks, aren't you?" Then came the sound of metal being torn apart, and a shudder that told him that the blue haired kid was now riding his Paladin. "Not cool, kid! Didn't mommy ever tell you not to ride with strangers!"

The blonde monkey kid decided to attack at this point. Roman was having none of it, and he threw the blue haired kid and the monkey punk off of the freeway. Smiling, he noticed a moment later that a white haired girl was standing in the road with a rapier. "This'll be good," he muttered. Stabbing the ground, she covered the road in ice and forced him to slip off of the freeway and into the open area below. There, waiting for him was the one person he set all of this up fort; Ruby.

The cat girl, the blond biker, and the white ice queen all landed next to her and stood in position. _So, this is her team...interesting_. "Good evening, Red," he said over the speaker system.

Ruby didn't acknowledge him. "Weiss, Yang: Freezer Burn!"

Nodding, Weiss froze the ground right before Yang melted it instantly, causing a fog that Roman's standard camera's couldn't see through. Mildly irritated, he flipped on the infrared sensors, which were severely limited compared to the normal view points. Next came the ice queen and the cat as they attacked together. Roman tried to kick the cat away, but the ice queen used some kind of glyph to pull her back to safety. "That's what I wanted anyway, I suppose," he whispered to himself. "That all you got?" he taunted.

"Lady Bug!" Ruby cried, and the cat and she began to attack in unison.

"You're pissing me off!" Roman yelled, but he could do nothing as one of his weapons was severed from the rest of the mech's left arm. "God damn it!" Another shudder: someone was once again standing on top of him, firing shotgun blasts into the armor plating. "Get! The! Fuck! Off!" He flailed the mech's arm and threw the blonde biker off and into a concrete wall. Smiling, he used the mech's fist to pummel her into the wall, confident that because she was a huntress, her Aura would keep her alive. She'd be severely injured, but she should live. Hopefully.

It came as a surprise then when she stood up, ready for round two. Roman almost spat with rage as he readied his mech's fist once more. Swinging for a powerful punch, he was shocked to see the blonde _catch_ the fist with her own, stopping the giant machine's momentum completely. "What is _with_ you kids?"

The blonde looked at him with pure anger, and her soft eye color was now a violently vibrant red; red like blood. _Muzzle flash. Gun shot. His hears made deaf. She was dead, and he couldn't save her. No one could._ The sound of metal tearing ripped him back to reality in a cold sweat, panting heavily. He glanced and saw that the arm of the mech had been ripped clean off. "Shit!" The ice queen and Ruby fired at him, freezing the mech to slow it down. Soon he couldn't move, and the blonde had come back to punch the cockpit's door. Roman had a brief moment of shock and slight fear before he found himself laying on the pavement, surrounded by the fragments of the Paladin.

Quickly standing with his cane in hand, he looked angrily at the wreckage. "Just got this thing cleaned!" he commented sarcastically. Turning, he saw the blonde glare at him. _Oh, this is gonna hurt!_ he thought. A ball of fire was hurled at him, and was ready to raise his own aura to defend himself.

But _she_ saved him. The one thing he didn't want to get involved, the one person he didn't want to risk, stood before him and blocked the fireball. _No!_ he thought. _You shouldn't be here!_ Clearing his mind of such thoughts, he turned his full attention to Ruby and her team. "Ladies...Ice Queen," he taunted.

"What the hell!?" Weiss screamed.

Making sure that Ruby met his gaze, he gave a polite bow. "Always a pleasure." Turning to his savior, he said, "Neo, if you may." Silently nodding, a Bullhead appeared from beyond the freeway and the two leapt into it, taking off and escaping the battle. As the door closed, Roman gave Ruby one final glance.

Sighing, he sealed the door shut before sitting down. Removing his hat, he stared sadly at the floor. "I thought I told you not to leave home," he said in an even tone; he wasn't angry. Neo simply stared at him with a blank, but confused look on her face. "I know," Roman said, as if answering something that she had said. "I know you worry about me, dear, but I'm _fine_. I intended for that to happen." A quizzical look from Neo seemed to be sarcastically saying _Really?_ "Okay, not _exactly_ like that, but it was pretty close, okay?"

She hugged Roman's right arm tightly. "I know you want to help, but I can't lose you, Neo." _Not after what happened already, _he finished silently. "Don't worry, okay? I'm just...trying to understand something." Pulling out his cell phone, he sent a text message to a certain number. Returning his gaze to Neo, he gasped. "I think I've figured it out."

* * *

><p>Team RWBY was on their way back to their dorm, attempting to piece together what had happened this evening. Each of them had found a significant amount of information. Ruby had more on her mind than the others realized though. Today, not only did she find out that Penny is a robot, she also fought Roman again. Somehow, both caused her equal amounts of concern. <em>I'm the first synthetic to produce an aura like a living being<em>. Penny's explanation echoed in her mind, and an image of Roman staring at that Neo girl was burning into her mind.

He didn't expect to see her from the look of it. His eyes held a myriad of emotion: confusion, concern, anger, and fear. _Fear_ was the last thing she expected to find in him. What could he be afraid of? And just _who_ was that girl he called Neo? Why did she elicit such a response from him?

As if attempting to answer her mental questions, Ruby's scroll beeped. _Who could that be?_ she thought with a hint of sarcasm. Opening her scroll, she was greeted by exactly what she thought she'd find.

_[Can we talk? I won't bring a mech if you don't bring your team.]-_R.T.

Sighing, Ruby found herself curious beyond words. Besides, this might be benificial. _[I'll be at the usual spot.]_-R.R.

"What was that, Ruby?" Yang asked.

"Hm? Oh, it was a reminder I programmed. I forgot all about it, which I guess is why the function was added to the device. I need to run by a convenient store and pick up some things," she lied.

"Oh, well let's go then," Weiss said.

"No, I know we're all tired, and I want you three to get back and rest as soon as possible."

"What if Roman shows up again?" Blake asked.

"Pfft, please. I've beat him once by myself. I'm sure I could do it again. Besides, how likely is it that he has another mech just lying around?" The other three girls just shrugged. "Is there anything you girls want? I'll pick it up for you."

Blake shook her head. "The tea you got me is plenty."

Yang put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Tortilla chips and hot salsa!"

"Ew," Weiss said. "At this hour? Do you _want_ to have heartburn all night?"

"Nah, I can take it."

Rolling her eyes, Weiss turned back to Ruby. "If it isn't too much trouble, we're almost out of coffee."

"Roger! Go on home, girls, and get some rest!" Ruby said cheerfully. Splitting up with them, she made sure that they were almost to an airship station before she turned away from where they thought she was going. On her way to meet with Roman, she decided to look at the state of her wallet: it was empty. "Wonderful!" she cried. "There goes my cover story!" Shrugging, she continued to make her way to the waterfront area that she and Roman had met at before.

Ruby was surprised to find that she wasn't the first to arrive. The last two times they had met like this, Ruby had arrived first. This time, she saw a hatless Roman leaning against the rail, looking out to the sea as he smoked his cigar. Even more surprising, he hadn't noticed Ruby's presence. She cleared her throat. Coming out of some kind of daze, he turned to face her. "Oh," he said. "You're actually here. I didn't think you'd come, considering how we interacted these last two times we saw each other."

"Well," Ruby answered as she approached and leaned against the rail next to him. "Threatening to kill my friend, and then attacking us with a giant mech aren't exactly the types of things you do to impress someone. So, yeah, I really shouldn't be here."

Roman nodded. "So, why are you here then?"

"I was curious," Ruby said flatly. "Why would Roman, the man who just tried to kill me and my friends _again_, want to talk to me?"

Roman shuddered visibly at the mention of the word kill. "You're making some massive assumptions about me, Red. I may be a dick, but I'm no murderer."

"Really?" Ruby asked with an understandable level of skepticism. "And so, smashing my sister into a wall was just, what, a friend making ritual?"

"That was your sister?" Roman asked.

"You're dodging the question."

"The answer is simple. You're all huntresses in training. By that notion, you _should_ have some strong aura to protect you from massive damage. I wagered that she'd be hurt, but not in any real peril. I did run the risk of potentially killing her, but that was never my intent." He chuckled. "Tell your sister she has one _hell_ of a right hook, by the way."

"Uh huh, I'll get right on that," she answered sarcastically. "I don't have any reason to believe you."

"Look me up, Red; you'll not see a single murder on my record."

"We did," she stated smugly. "And there is _one _murder on your file. Not many details were involved, but it said that you weren't convicted. I'll bet that you paid off your accusers!"

Roman went white as a sheet, causing Ruby to pause. "You mean to tell me that they put _that_ on my record, when I didn't do it?" he asked.

Ruby was unsure of how to answer. "Well...yeah, it's there. Though, Weiss said that you were probably not involved too much. It was probably an accident, according to her."

He shook his head. _Oh, I was involved alright. I just didn't kill her. I couldn't even _save_ her!_ "I asked you here for a reason, Red."

"I figured. Are you ready to give up and spill the beans on what your employer is up to?"

He smiled finally, though it still looked sad. "Not quite. I wanted to get a good look at you." Standing straight, he turned and stared into Ruby's eyes, looking her entire figure over and putting emphasis on her face."One last look," he whispered. _She reminds me so much of her. She's so...innocent._ "Too innocent," he accidentally whispered out loud.

"Uh...what?" Ruby asked, feeling uncomfortable.

"You...you remind me of someone I cared for deeply, Red," he said. "How old are you?"

"I...I don't like where this is going," she said.

"Please, Ruby. I'm not asking for much." Sighing, he looked into her silver eyes once more, deeply exploring them. "Can you give an old sinner this gift and just answer me and hear me out?"

Ruby stared back, feeling confused before she ultimately nodded. "I'm fifteen," she stated.

Roman felt a pain in his chest. "Fifteen," he whispered. "She'd have been sixteen this year." Reaching into his wallet, he looked at what Ruby assumed was a photograph. "I was married once, Ruby. I was clean back then. Sure, I was rough as a teen, but who wasn't? When I turned twenty, I married a beautiful girl. She became pregnant and we were going to be parents. She...she died giving birth to our daughter."

"Oh," Ruby said. "I'm...I'm sorry if I find this hard to believe."

"Don't blame you. How can you trust me? I'm a fucking asshole and I know it." Shaking his head, he continued. "Sure, I was saddened by the loss of my wife, but I wasn't alone. I had my daughter. I raised her by myself, and she learned what a wonderful person her mother was." He paused for a moment. "I came home late one night. This was about six years ago. I entered our home and found the lights off. I assumed that she had gone to bed. I was about to go to my own room when I heard the window shatter in my daughter's room. She screamed and I ran to see what was wrong. There stood a man with a gun, pointing it at my daughter. She was crying, begging me to help her. You know what I did?"

Ruby shook her head.

Tears began to roll down Roman's cheeks. "_Nothing_! I was shocked! Scared! I couldn't move. Without any warning, the man gunned my little girl down right in front of me. She died before I could even get to her. He ran off and I thought I'd never see him again. She was dead, and the police thought that I had killed her." He hung his head sadly. "They thought I had killed my poor Neo."

Ruby stared at him, confused. "Neo? But, that girl..."

Roman cut her off. "That's how I first became a criminal, you know. I started working as a thief to worm my way into the organized crime hierarchy in the hopes that I'd find the man responsible. I have killed before, Red. I killed my first, and my last, the day I found him. He burns in hell for what he's done, and I became the monster that the authorities wanted me to be. So, I never stopped being what I am today. I enjoy it now; a man has to enjoy something, I suppose."

"Why?" Ruby asked, fighting back her own tears. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because you're so innocent, Ruby," he said, surprising her by using her real name. "You remind me of her. I did what I did today in an attempt to understand why I like being around you so much. When...when _she _ saved me, that's when I realized what it was."

"Roman, who is she? I thought you called _her_ Neo."

"She's nothing," Roman replied. "Just a replacement to appease a sad, shell of a man." He shook his head. "I called you hear to tell you one more thing: do not involve yourself any further. My employer is not as merciful as I. Unlike me, she isn't opposed to killing to achieve her goal."

Ruby smiled. After a moment, she chuckled softly. "I can't do that."

"Why the fuck not?" Roman asked angrily. "You could _die_ if you keep butting in! I'll not have your death on my hands!"

"I'm going to be a huntress, Roman," she said. "And that means I have to protect people. Whatever your employer is doing, it's going to endanger a lot of people's lives. I just know it. So, I plan to stop you. I will fulfill my duty." She nodded. "A part of me wants to believe your story, Roman. If it is true, then I truly feel pity for you, and you have my condolences." She glanced at her scroll and saw the time. "I'm afraid I have to go. I need to come up with a reason as to why I was late and why I couldn't afford the stuff at the convenience store for my friends."

Roman smiled. "I understand." Before he put his wallet away, he pulled out twenty lien. "Will this cover what you need to buy?" he asked.

Ruby looked at him in awe. "You can't be serious?"

He nodded. "Just don't' ask where I got it."

Ruby accepted it. "Th-thank you." She bowed politely and left. She stared at the money for a while as she walked before she felt the presence of someone standing in front of her. Standing before her was the girl who helped Roman earlier. She stared curiously into Ruby's eyes, never uttering a word. "Are...are you Neo?" Ruby asked. The girl nodded. "Is Roman's story true?" Again, the girl nodded. "So...you're not the _real_ Neo, are you?"

The girl shook her head. To emphasize this, one of her heterochromatic eyes changed colors, and Ruby could see the jagged lines of what appeared to be processors and machines; she was an android. Ruby smiled. "He must have really cared for Neo if he had you built." Smiling faintly, the fake Neo nodded. "Well, he may be a scumbag, but I guess he's not all that bad. Do me a favor; take care of him." With those final words, Ruby and the android of Neo parted ways.

Neo approached Roman and put a comforting hand on his back. "Hm?" he asked, having just now noticed her. "Oh, don't worry about me, Neo. I'm fine." Neo tilted her head and gestured in the direction of Ruby. "You like her too?" Neo nodded. "Yeah, she's a good girl. I wish she'd listen though.

"Because once Cinder moves her plan along, no one will be safe."

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE<strong>

_Song: Heavy Day- Guilty Gear Xrd theme._

Holy fuck! Longest chapter? LONGEST CHAPTER!

The only reason I didn't split it is because I couldn't figure out WHERE to split it! So, how do you like my take on the Roman/Neo relationship? I think I've outdone myself here, but I'm completely, 100% biased on such opinions of myself. And yay! Roman's not 100% dick!

Sorry I haven't updated this story in a while. I've been doing tons of other projects (I am very proud of _A Rose by Any Other Name_), and I've been plotting out a new book idea I've had, all the while I've been editing/writing my _other_ books. Word to wise for those who want to start writing: you better have the passion for it. This is what happens when you do: you become consumed by it. If you're not prepared to commit yourself, it'll tear you a new asshole. Actually...it might do that anyway, but that's beside the point.

Also, I haven't played Guilty Gear Xrd yet! I'm getting a PS4 this week, so I'll probably buy it soon though! Great song!

Fun Fact: Me and my sister were out on the porch talking when the topic of headache and eye problems comes up, and we think we figured out why I've been getting so many headaches these last few years. I see just fine, but I've noticed that my right eye feels odd at times, so we think I might have astigmatism in my right eye. I'm gonna go to the eye doctor and find out if I need glasses or not. You know what? I kind of want glasses. I mean, I don't, but I like to look fashionable, and I've always envied those people who get to wear the really stylish glasses. I want a pair of _those_!

So, leave a review if you feel like it, and I hope you enjoyed this massive ass chapter!

Till next time!


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